


reciprocate.

by theholylight



Series: a mistake, a chat and a resolution [1]
Category: Persona 5, Persona Series
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/F, Gen, M/M, basically dont read if you like haru, goro survives to be there for that, implied okujima, implied shuake, or at least if you dont see whats wrong with her actions, ren has had enough, set after Shido's palace, some redemption for everyone involved
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-17
Updated: 2020-06-17
Packaged: 2021-03-04 00:54:56
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,323
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24774967
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/theholylight/pseuds/theholylight
Summary: Following Shido's Palace, Haru decides to attempt to avenge her father by targeting Goro.She doesn't account for the team's leader, who is sick of their plans and irrational hatred of the one who understands him the best.
Relationships: Akechi Goro & Okumura Haru, Akechi Goro/Amamiya Ren, Akechi Goro/Kurusu Akira, Akechi Goro/Persona 5 Protagonist, Amamiya Ren & Niijima Makoto, Amamiya Ren & Okumura Haru, Niijima Makoto/Okumura Haru
Series: a mistake, a chat and a resolution [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1794103
Comments: 62
Kudos: 138





	reciprocate.

**Author's Note:**

> Canon-typical violence ahead. 
> 
> It's not too explicit but I will keep the M rating, just in case.
> 
> Update: for anyone still reading this, there is now a sequel one-shot called 'returning' and I made this a series of one-shots so it and the next/final one will be easier to find. Thank you for reading ^^

Ren saw red.

His hands, curled into fists, trambled as he watched the others - mainly Haru and Makoto - go off on Goro. It's like they weren't there with him during Shido's Palace, it's like it wasn't their plan in the first place for him to be caught, banking on Futaba's skills, as though the girl hadn't gone through enough aside from potentially aiding in his demise thanks to one mistake. The more he thought about it, the more he realized how flawed the plan was and that a moment's wavering could have signed his death warrant. If it weren't for his thief skills and quick thinking, it probably would have been... behind him, Goro clutched his aching cheek from where Haru had punched him, seemingly all righteous fury as though her father had been all that and amazing and .... white noise went in one ear and out of the other, slowly placing himself fully in front of Goro and a shocked Futaba and Ann as Haru raised her hand again, a seemingly satisfied Makoto silently cheering her on.

**"Enough."**

His voice, ice cold and raspy as it was after not being used for a couple of hours, echoed in the otherwise silent room, feet carrying him to stand in front of the heiress before either she or her girlfriend could speak.

"I'm the leader of the Phantom Thieves. Not you, not Makoto, not Futaba, not Morgana. You chose me as the leader. And yet? Yet, you chose to ignore all of my orders and assume what's best for me when it concerns plans. Then again, what else should I expect from people who don't need me when I'm not listening to their sob stories?" 

"Joker..." Goro began, slowly standing up from the bed but Ren raised a hand, silencing for he wasn't finished. All of this was just a culmination of events that have been building up ever since Makoto joined their team. Naturally, the brunet being who he was, he attempted to keep going. "... I don't believe..." 

"It's okay." the leader simpered, turning to look back at the shocked faces of his Senpai. "What is it? Did you think I had no backbone or that was I just going to go along with whatever song you write next time? Ryuji here can tell you, he was there for my Awakening, **I don't do that**."

"Yeah, man... Ren-Ren isn't like that." Ryuji kicked some invisible pebble, still wary of Goro but at the same time, willing to listen to what his best friend had to say... which is exactly why he was who he was to Ren. He could always count on him to see both perspectives and side with him if he thought it was right. As he seemed to believe now. "I never thought that the plan was a good day, it was put him into too much danger..."

"It was the only thing..."

"No, Makoto." Ren cut across from her before she could continue. "There was nine of us at the time in the group, we could have gotten together and thought of a plan that wouldn't include me potentially dying while still making it believable. Instead, you went behind my back, planned it and then just told me everything after the fact and expected me to obey you like **_you_** are the leader of this team. You've gotten cocky, you know? You were from day one, but you certainly became more of a control robot the day Haru here joined us and you began dating the poor, fragile heiress who just lost her abusive father, am I right?" 

Makoto moved to say something, but shut up when she noticed the flicker of Shadow yellow in Ren's eyes, the sight causing her to freeze as she knew him _enough_ to know when he had enough, when he decided that the rebellion was not going to be tampered with by anyone, not even his own teammates. Haru, on the other hand, knew him far less and for a much shorter period of time, thus found it in herself to speak up despite her girlfriend attempting to hush her with a worried look on her face. Futaba slowly reached out to grasp Ren's arm at the same time as Goro, the two of them sharing a look of understanding that it could get ugly if they...

"Ren-kun, I thought you understood me. Yes, my father was ... what he was... but he still didn't deserve to die that way! He should have the chance to redeem himself, I...!" 

"Do you really believe that men like him can be redeemed?" Goro sneered, almond eyes staring at the heiress like she just grew a second head. "If so, you are much more foolish than I thought you were... to think I actually pitied you for that, even if it helped the world be rid of at least one more scum..." 

Haru's eyes flashed. However, as she moved to hit him again, something happened that no one had expected from an otherwise calm, cool and collected leader. But everyone had a breaking point, and the two of them just met his. Before the petite fist could even reach the brunet, Ren caught it with one hand - tugging free from both Goro and Futaba's holds - while using the other to punch Haru right where she had previously punched Goro, an eye for an eye, he believed the saying was. Empty eyes watched as she stared up at him in disbelief from the floor, where she had fallen from the force of the punch.

"Ren!" Makoto moved forward but Ryuji and Ann placed themselves between them, somewhat uncertain but postures clear, firm. They knew Ren for far longer than they did Makoto and Haru, for them, he was their friend. They never truly agreed with the plan either, even if Ann had had her hopes that he would have gotten out of it without any major injuries... which didn't turn out that way but she cleared her head, staring at Makoto as she quietly spoke. "Don't... it's not worth it." 

Ren moved from beind the duo, slowly patting their shoulders in a silent thank you. Truly, he could only count on his original crew.

"It's really not. The choice is yours. Either you accept the facts as they are - Goro stays here, we deal with whatever is going on now as a team - or you leave. I refuse to consider people who'd willingly risk my life to be a part of the team. Goro was ordered to try and murder me. What was your excuse?"

He slowly turned to look at Futaba, the younger girl biting her lip and nodding as she gingerly moved to stand beside Ann.

"I a-agree... I thought the plan was foolproof at first but... there was so much that could have gone wrong, Makoto, we should have gone over it one more time, no, as many times as it was needed! He could have seriously been hurt or...!" the blonde hugged her in a comforting manner, clearly the thought of her friend being lost for good was getting to her. Ryuji, meanwhile, moved to face his upperclassmen, carefully eyeing Ren as he moved to sit on the bed in an attempt to cool down, to put the same mask that always hid his emotions back on. "She's right. So's Ren-Ren. I think you should leave, you know, for now at least... the least we could do is cool off." 

Wordlessly, but without forgetting her glare that was now aimed at everyone, Makoto walked over to Haru, helped her up and began to leave the attic, her voice acid as she left her parting words.

"I hope you know what you are doing..."

"You know what, Makoto?"

Ren looked up at the fuming brunette and her now silent, shocked girlfriend, the familiar smirk playing on his lips.

"For once in my life, I do."

**Author's Note:**

> For all of those people saying I need a change of heart:
> 
> No, you do, because you refuse to treat Haru like a character. She is not a waifu. She has accountability. She approached a character with known trauma and assumed she would get things her way. Any comments coming at me for writing a fictional character finally accounting for what she has done and what she is saying and how she is acting will be deleted, as it's more so a personal attack and less so about the one-shot. 
> 
> You knew what you were getting into reading before clicking as the tags are there, written clear as day, and if you ignore tags and still come at me with supposed 'constructive criticism' because I didn't hold your favorite one-dimensional waifu on a silver platter, that's on you. Next time, be mindful of the tags, 'purists'. 
> 
> Thank you for reading ^^


End file.
